The Clockmaker's Daughter

Long Ago…

Father Christmas delivered gifts around the world. Much to his confusion and struggle, however, the sun came up at different times in different countries.

Never knowing where to start or where to finish, Father Christmas spent years in search of something that would help him.

Between Christmases, he ventured through the jungles of South America, the cold lakes of Europe, the endless plains of Africa and the palaces of Asia searching for time.

Everywhere, time was measured, treasured and enjoyed. On his travels, Father Christmas listened to the clocks of the world chime and watched day turn to night.

Where he came from, it was never morning nor evening, dark nor light and you were never early nor late.

The sun, the moon and the stars shared the unchanging sky. Hours and minutes hovered aimlessly. The North Pole had no time of its own.

*

Many miles away, in Greenwich, stood a clock shop.

Mr Coggins made timepieces of all shapes and sizes. He revelled in the music of time; the ticks and chimes filling the air of the strange and wonderful shop.

Time is the greatest gift, he’d say.

Behind the counter, several clocks were labelled with the names of places, each one telling a different time.

At breakfast time in London, it was midnight in Chicago.

While everybody worked in Rome, they were fast asleep in St Petersburg.

And in New Zealand it was already tomorrow.

“Some places are so far away, they are in the future,” Mr Coggins explained to his daughter, Molly. Molly was a bright and thoughtful girl who would one day grow up to become Mrs Christmas. And this day was the start of it all.

Mr Coggins pointed at a big map on the shop wall, “These places are many hours ahead of us.” Just then, somewhere in the shop, a clock stopped ticking. Molly found it, a silver pocket watch with a snowflake in its centre and hands paused on 12.

Molly turned back to the map. “Father,” she asked, “what time is it in the North Pole?”

“Nobody knows.” Mr Coggins replied.

And like the chimes of Big Ben, an idea struck Molly.

*

Something exciting was happening in the North Pole.

Father Christmas’s Grandson, Christopher, watched with intrigue as the elves gathered in the workshop.

“A gift has arrived for Father Christmas,” the elves whispered excitedly. “Nobody’s ever done this before!”

Father Christmas unwrapped a shiny, round item with numbers around the edge and a snowflake in its centre.

“A clock!” Gasped Father Christmas. “The gift of time!”

Father Christmas and the elves cheered and danced with delight.

*

On Christmas Eve, Molly waited by the fire, fighting to stay awake. Had her gift reached the North Pole? Does Father Christmas now know the time? She had to find out.

Later, Molly woke up. The fire had faded, the house was cold and a strange boy stood beside her.

Molly jumped up. “You’re not Father Christmas.”

“I’m Christopher,” the boy said. He had blonde hair and sparkly blue eyes like his grandfather. “I will be Father Christmas one day. And you’re Molly.”

Amazed, Molly nodded.

“We need your help in the North Pole,” Christopher took Molly’s hand and led her out to the sleigh.

*

Christopher and Molly climbed aboard the sleigh.

At his command, the reindeer clicked into motion and they began rising into the air. The sleigh was flying, sailing into the night like a floating ship. The reindeer began galloping, pulling the sleigh higher. Soon, they were thundering on the wind like racehorses. Rudolph’s nose guided them like a spotlight.

*

In St Nicholas Valley, at the foot of a white mountain surrounded by icebergs, they landed. Molly could see everything. The sun, the moon and the stars. It was sunrise and midnight all at once. All around her was a strange stillness. Nothing moved.

“Welcome to the North Pole,” said Christopher.

They turned to see Father Christmas standing there. He was big and tall with a beard glittering like frost.

“Seasons Greetings, Molly,” he spoke with a kind but mighty voice. “Follow me,” he gestured to the mountain, “I must show you something.”

*

Father Christmas, Christopher and Molly journeyed up the mountainside until a shining white tower rose into view. It was round and vanished into the clouds while twenty-four archways led inside.

“The Meridian Steeple!” Father Christmas announced. “A clock for all the time in the world. Come!”

*

Inside the Meridien Steeple, the ceiling was made of cogs and hour glasses. The floor was patterned like a compass. Above the archways, silver clocks were labelled with countries they led to. But not a single one ticked.

The Steeple was motionless.

*

“Your gift taught us something, Molly.” Father Christmas’s voice echoed. “The North Pole does not have its own time. Instead, all the world’s time meets here at the top of the earth. We built this steeple as a home for it.”

Christopher smiled beside Molly.

“Grandad can deliver presents on time too. He knows the time everywhere all at once.”

“All thanks to you.” Father Christmas beamed.

“But it doesn’t work yet,” Christopher added. “Only you can make it work and make time begin here.”

“You are the power source of the Meridien Steeple.” Father Christmas said.

“But I don’t have any p-power!” Molly stuttered.

“Of course you do,” grinned Christopher. “Giving a someone a gift is an act of kindness.”

“And kindness makes us more powerful than we can imagine.” Father Christmas remarked.

Christopher approached Molly and placed into her hand the pocket watch. His eyes met hers. “You know what do.”

Pocket watch in hand, Molly slowly stepped into the centre of the Meridien Steeple.

What do I do? She asked herself.

“Remember your father’s words.” Whispered Father Christmas.

*

Molly thought of her father, the shop, the clocks and the map. Then, like the toll of the Orloj, Molly remembered:

“Time is the greatest gift.”

Without hesitation, Molly raised the pocket watch high and pressed firmly on the snowflake in its centre.

A deafening boom shook the steeple. The pocket watch began to tick.

The Meridien Steeple began whirring to life.

The clocks above the archways began to spin, placing their hands to the times of countries they led to. The cogs on the ceiling began to turn and clunk like a great machine. All around her, pendulums swung, hour glasses flipped and filled.

Father Christmas and Christopher watched in awe as bright golden lights spilled in from the archways.

Flocking home across every ocean, town and mountain like bees to a honey pot, time, at last, had arrived.

*

Archway number 1 lit up.

“New Zealand!” Christopher cried over the noise of the cogs. “It will be Christmas there first!”

A moment later, the sleigh glided into the steeple. Polished and piled with presents. Rudolph’s nose glowed like a ruby.

“You’ll need this.” Molly handed Father Christmas the pocket watch.

“Thank you for everything, Molly. We’ll see you soon.” Father Christmas tapped his nose. With a wink of his eye, he flew eastbound from the steeple, vanishing into the distance.

*

Many years later

Captain Molly Coggins once had a dream. She flew on Father Christmas’s sleigh to the North Pole and Christopher was there, Father Christmas’s grandson. She’d given them a pocket watch, the gift of time, and stood at the top of the earth in a great white tower where all the time in the world lived.

Molly received the gift of a dream. A dream that changed her life.

Captain Molly flies around the world. She navigates above the earth through midnights and mornings, over rainforests and volcanoes. No matter where Molly goes; Chicago, New Zealand or Rome, she always knows the time. And she always remembers her first adventure.

*

Returning home one Christmas morning, Molly found someone waiting for her. Someone she recognised. It was then realised something;

it wasn’t a dream.

Seasons Greetings from Mr & Mrs Christmas.